Aldo Leopold & the Apache National Forest: Roots of a land ethic

Dr. Flader will begin by introducing us to Aldo Leopold as a conservationist deeply committed to the health of lands, wildlife, and watersheds. Her talk, titled Aldo Leopold & the Apache National Forest: Roots of a land ethic begins at 6:30.

Susan will focus on his land ethic and how we are connected to the land on which we live.

Leopold began his career as a forester on the Apache National Forest in 1909. The Apache influenced his thinking throughout his lifetime. He came to understand the intricate balance of nature and how critical different components of the system were to the health of our forests.

Hike to the Green Fire site, where almost 104 years ago Aldo Leopold and his companions stood shooting at a pack of wolves below. Susan Flader will talk about how the site was discovered and Leopold’s transformation from wolf killer to protector. We will also be reading passages from Leopold’s “Thinking like a Mountain” where he recounts the watching the fierce green fire go out of the wolf’s eyes and how it affected him. We will also talk about the proposed Green Fire interpretive trail and overlook.

Hike length 2 to 7 miles and determined individually. You can choose to hike the 2 miles to the overlook or bushwhack down the proposed trail to the Black River. Bring water, lunch, and rain gear.

Hike to the top of Escudilla Mountain, written about by Leopold in one of his essays in A Sand County Almanac. Passages from Leopold’s writings will be read, and discussion of the impact that this place had on his life.